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Installing Python

PyXPCOM requires access to a shared Python library. The official Python installer for Windows installs this library automatically, so Windows users can simply install Python and skip to Compiling Mozilla.

For non-Windows users, if you already have Python installed and you have the file libpython2.*.so.* in /usr/lib/python2.*/config, you meet the shared library requirement and can skip to the Compiling Mozilla section. If you have that file but it's located in /usr/lib (or whatever your system's library path is) instead, then create the proper symlink to the library as instructed below for Gentoo systems. If you don't have that file at all then you'll need to compile Python with --enable-shared as outlined in this section.

Gentoo systems

Python 2.3 and later

If your installed Python ebuild is python-2.3* or later then the shared library was already built by default.

Python 2.2 and earlier

If you're using python-2.2* or earlier, perform the following steps to modify the ebuild and re-emerge Python.

First, copy the official ebuild to your Portage overlay and modify it like so: